POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: pinkadam on January 02, 2007, 07:20:13 pm
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Happy New Year to you all
Is Winter more harmful to people who are HIV+
I hear some people say it is very good to take flu shot for HIV+ve and some people say T cell count goes down when you take flu shot.
Also does winter illnesses(cold , cough,flu) effect HIV+ve person differently than HIV-ve person ?
All opinions welcomed
thx ahead
pink
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I've had a flu shot every years since the 90's. Had my last flu shot in Oct. with a CD4 of 52. I've had this stuff 22+ years and I don't see a difference. I get a cold, but I get them in the summer too. I also get my pneumonia shot every 5-6 years. I think it's on the 6th year.
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I think winter presents an increased opportunity to come into contact with others that have colds and flu - but, I am not convinced it presents a greater hazard than other seasons. I feel like some basic precautions like flu and pneumonia vaccines, frequent hand washing and proper diet can mitigate any additional risk that winter might present.
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I had a flu shot and iam very careful about sharing food with people.
I always use anti bactirial cream. But i ended up getting sick this winter.
With all this I still caught bad cold and fever and it scared hell out of me as it became hard to take my medication as i was throwing up.
I asked my doctor about healthy living to prevent cold and fever during winter and he gave me none.
After iam HIV+ , i am very scared to get sick as it depresses me alot.
I know there are lots of people in my boat. I was wondering what you all are doing to be safe and stay healthy
thx alot
pink
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Hi Pink,
One of the most important things you can do is wash your hands regularly. Many cold and flu viruses enter our bodies when we rub our eyes or put our fingers in our mouths after our hands have come into contact with a bug out in public somewhere (or at home if someone you live with is ill). I always wash my hands when I come in from shopping and if I'm going to be out for hours, I carry one of those alcohol based antibacterial hand gels with me. I haven't had a major bug in years now. Well, except for the obvious one! ;)
Ann
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Ann has pretty much hit the nail on the head here.. handwashing handwashing handwashing. Being a nurse, I know how important this is to prevent the spread of many pathogens to my patients and myself, and it really is an effective way to prevent yourself from getting bugs.
Like Ann said, we're always touching our face, rubbing our eyes, putting fingers in our mouths etc. All we need to do is touch a contaminated surface like when you are riding in the bus, train etc.. and transmission is well on it's way if we don't wash our hands.
Go Ann! ;) Wash your hands people!
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Hi,
Thanks for the advice!! Sounds smart! I have never thinked of it! I always catch flu in winter, in spring... almost 2 times a year... I'll try handwashing!
Thanks!!!
:)
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I am obsessed with handwashing since I was 14. I think I was my hands 10 times a day and everytime I go outdoors and come back home. I have to use hand cream if I donīt want my skin to crack due to excessive dryness. My mother thinks I should go and see a psychologist... :-\
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I get the flu vaccine every year (missed this year) and the pneumonia vaccine every 5 years. It's just good practice and I work in a hospital with sick people, so it is a good thing to do, since the patients really love to cough in your face. At the hospital, I wash the heck out of my hands and as a result I have very dry skin. I carry around purell and also some lotion to keep my hands soft. Handwashing is very good. It really is a very simple way to avoid infection. At most I have one cold, though this year the flu got me--this is the one year I totally spaced taking the flu shot, since I work night shift now, it is very easy to forget to come in during the hours they are administering it or just not come in because I don't feel like it. I paid for it.
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I don't see any difference between Winter OR Summer for catching the flu or whatever else can be "in the air". I live in a tropical island and the flu is something you can catch at any moment. True it is that some seasons of the year people tend to be "sicker" with cold or flu's, but frequent handwashing and avoiding people who are sneezing and coughing frequently are just some tips for not catching anything. I work in a controlled environment room and we use face masks and hand wash about 10 times a day. This really has kept me from catching even the slightest cold last year. I hope I can pass this year without catching anything! ::)
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By the way... talking about the flu... I just catched one again, since yesterday!!!!
My last one before was on... end of august, so in 2007 I think I'll also match my average!!!
I've been washing my hands... but many of my colleagues at work have now the flu, we work altogether in a big room, and pass a lot of time gathered, talking... and well, in that way this is not easy to avoid it. I have tried to hide and protect myself behind my computer screen... but this didn't work.
Maybe we should do as japonese do. They use mask when they have the flu and consider you are no polite if you do not so...
But I think I will choose a solution from our mediterranean philosophy: flu days are holidays (payed ones!!!), so you rest at home, comfortably sleeping very late in the morning, and passing the day drinking margaritas, martinis or bourbons, and do no go back to work until you are 100% OK and flu-free. I think that will work.
;-)
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cold weather makes my joints and bones ache. too hot and it makes me wanna puke.
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Good question. To me it depends on how cold it gets. Strangely the warmer it is, the worse it is for one. At least thats what I've found. If its mild, in the 40's, it seems everyone has colds and are sick a lot, hiv or not. If its like real cold, way below freezing, seems the germs are killed off too. I have had least problems when its really cold, than when the winters are warm above freezing most the time.
Another thing, if you eat out a lot or fast food a lot, the workers that make and serve the food might have more colds and flu. Since most fast food places don’t have med insurance, some one sick almost has to come in anyway as to not skip a days pay. So they go to work sick and who knows where it goes from there.
I always wondered if there are less germs in a real cold winter than a mild one. Seems to be.
Then theres these kids that run around in shorts and cutoffs in 20 degree weather.
You know they will be sick and spreading it in no time.
ps. (I just realized I sound like my dad talking with that last comment)